Last week's meteorite impact: cosmic coincidence, or a sign of the Mayan apocalypse? Brush up on the nuttiest theories floating around the Web.
Posted 02.20.2013 at 2:00 pm
18 Comments
Chelyabinsk meteor trace
Alex Alishevskikh, via Wikimedia Commons
When something as mundane as a birth certificate is major conspiracy-theory fodder, it should be no surprise that the folks in tin foil hats have already concocted some not-so-obvious explanations for last week's meteorite crash in Russia.
Read on for our four favorite space-rock conspiracy theories, in order from least likely to most likely.
1. The Mayan apocalypse conspiracy theory.
Meet Gary C. Daniels, the author of several elaborately argued books about the Mayan prophecies. Using the logic of someone with a vested interested in selling Mayan apocalypse theories, he insists that the fact that the supposed date of the Mayan apocalypse has come and gone isn't a strike against the theory. Instead, any natural disaster since December 21, 2012 is just more proof of his thesis:
...[T]he time period after December 21, 2012 should see an increase in catastrophes such as meteor airburst and impact events like the one that took place in Russia on February 15, 2013. I made this assessment based on my interpretation of the ancient writings and astronomical records of the Maya. I argued that the Maya were aware of multiple cycles of such catastrophes which they encoded into their calendars. Their 250-year calendar tracked smaller events and their 5000-year calendar tracked the larger events. December 21, 2012 marked the end of this 5000-year cycle and far from representing the “end of the world” I argued that it represented the beginning of a new age of disasters and cosmic catastrophes.
2. The "it-was-a-weapons-test" conspiracy theory.
This story by the state-owned Russia Today initially attributed the explosion of the meteorite to a Russian missile, but that was just an explanation for the meteorite breakup. Other theories claim the meteorite itself was evidence of a new weapon.
Not to be outdone, Russian ultranationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky claimed that the meteorite was actually "the Americans testing new weapons." This theory gained traction on noted conspiracy-theory den Rense.com, where the meteorite crash is believe to have been a test of "Gods Rods, the ultimate bunker busters, which strike with Luciferian power despite their name, which came no doubt from the apocalyptic corps of evangelical graduates of the Air Force Academy."
If apocalyptic military cabals with demon-powered weaponry aren't weird enough, this thread at Godlike Productions dives into missile defense, illuminati, Ronald Reagan, and U.S. nuclear testing above Russia--all apparently revealed by last week's meteorite.
3. The alien invasion conspiracy theory.
51% of Ridus readers think that an alien invasion has begun, according to a poll on the news site's home page.... fb.me/1Vww7p2vU
— russiaSLAM (@russiaSLAM) February 15, 2013
Within an hour of the meteorite impact, English-language Russian news aggregator RussiaSLAM had already reported on poll results suggesting that a tiny majority of Russians believed the meteorite was part of an interstellar attack.
Of course, the Russians weren't the only ones to see aliens in the meteor's massive vapor trail...
4. The "we're-all-in-a-conceptual-video-game" conspiracy theory.
Last October, Firaxis Games released X-Com: Enemy Unknown, a video game that just so happens to begin with a meteorite strike that turns out to be the opening stages of an alien invasion:
Gamers over on Reddit immediately jumped on the coincidence, posting "we know what's coming next" within hours of the impact.
On Twitter, a parody account of high concept game maker Peter Molyneux chimed in:
5 minute game where you play an asteroid that is headed towards Earth. Everyone hates you. All you can do is talk, what would you say?
— petermolydeux (@PeterMolydeux) February 19, 2013
This is hardly the first time an astronomical phenomenon has sparked a plethora of alternate explanations. The 1908 Tunguska Event, which most scientists believe was a meteorite that exploded mid-air, has been called everything from an alien crash-landing to a Nikola Tesla experiment-gone-wrong.
Here is a good debunking of some of these theories, and Popular Science coverage of the science of meteorite strikes continues. None of this will matter to the conspiracy theorists still insisting Tunguska was a cover-up, but whenever possible we like to be on the side of Bill Nye and science.
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I can understand why people would think crazy stuff like this. What gets me is, the first day this happened every news site had a video and/or a story about it. The next, not too much. The day after that, nothing at all. That's what gets me thinking. If it was a tsunami, we would be seeing pictures of the aftermath all over the news.
@ Handthumb
With the 24 hour news cycle and the fact that 99% of the injuries and damage were from broken glass it just didn't make too good of television too long, especially on the other side of the planet. No a 200K+ person death toll or devastated villages to splash across the TV.
Don't get me wrong, I'm still watching different videos of this thing, but then again I'm a geek... outside of these forums and the immediate impact (both literally and figuratively) it just didn't stay 'interesting enough'.
@jbmshasta
Good point.
Dear PopSci,
I realize that some conspiracy theorists are jackasses (Alex Jones for example), but ya know not all of our theories are "out there".
When you guys write about conspiracies, you take a very vindictive and dismissive tone. Of all the stories listed above, you never took one to task. Instead you just basically said "Na-na-nuh-boo-boo your wrong!". Basically the same thing you accuse us of doing.
As for the article (or should I say smear piece) above, you pulled 3 really wacky stories and one that is actually quite true if you could be bothered to stop patting each other on the back and look at the evidence.
The Rod's of the Gods is a very true and documented project by the US Military. Whether or not it was the cause of the Russian meteor is unknown at this point.
In a democracy (that you claim to want to protect) people have the right to examine evidence and follow the trail no matter where it goes.
Maybe you guys should go out and get laid, then try to approach these subjects with an unbiased view.
I'm not saying that any of the 4 above are true, but they at least deserve some proper reporting, not dismissive so called "journalism".
I'll wrap it up with a quote from Dave Chappelle
"You should never call someone crazy, it's dismissive. These people are not crazy, maybe it's their environment is a little sick"
- A Proud Conspiracy Theorist
RobDaven,
The weapon test theory is "really wacky". First of all the "Rods from the gods" only exist on paper. Deploying such a system would violate several treaties and risk starting WWIII. Second the event over Russia does not match the profile of that weapon. The Rods would be an impact weapon not an air burst weapon, and they would be much smaller then the object that exploded over Russia-which may have been much larger then the initial 10 estimate. Third such a demonstration would serve no real purpose. What logical reason would the US Gov have for such a display. Lastly, the US Gov is on the verge of bankruptcy throwing away a billion dollars for a light show over Russia would be unbelievable stupid even by government standards.
Message for Popular Science readers (from The Most Dangerous Book in the World - 9/11 As Mass Ritual, by S. K. Bain, quote from Michael Hoffman):
"It is one thing for the media, the police, the judiciary and the killers themselves to commit terrible acts without our knowledge or consent. It is quite another matter, with grave repercussions in the realm of psychodrama, public ritual and advanced mind control, when these crimes are committed with our consent. It is an ancient rule of both moral and common law that silence connotes consent - silence and a lack of meaningful action constitute consent in the face of these crimes.
"They brag to us about what they've gotten away with and we're thrilled by it. That's our only significant response, that and the anticipation of the next thrill."
At GLP, we DO something about it, even if it's just asking a question, like "How could a skyscraper - THREE skyscrapers - turn into dust and fall straight down, because planes flew into TWO of them?" We don't sit idly by and wring our hands and moan about the latest murderous act. We research it and notify others about our findings. We invite you to join us! Well, I do, anyway. Can't speak for the rest of the thousands and thousands of readers/posters at GLP.
ChemTrailsOutMyWindow
"How could a skyscraper - THREE skyscrapers - turn into dust and fall straight down, because planes flew into TWO of them?"
Short Answer: Physics
For longer answer see the following:
Laws of Thermal Dynamics
Laws of Gravity
Newton's Laws of Motion
Do you have any idea the kinetic energy that is released from a falling building landing onto another? Also, those white lines in the sky that follow airplanes are called condensation trails and are created by the same process cloud are formed.
"4 Best Conspiracy Theories" Really? I doubt it?
Unless conspiracy theorists have gotten really really lazy.
"it-was-a-weapons-test" Was the only respectable one in the bunch. The target was poorly chosen if it were true though. Unless the goal was starting World War 4.
ChemTrailsOutMyWindow
Ah yes. 9/11
Or as I call it, "The cascade of improbabilities"
cholin3947,
I never said it was a test of the Rods of God's system, I just said it wasn't just a dumb "conspiracy theory" that the system might possibly exist.
My comment was more directed to the editors here that seem to have it out for anyone that questions official sources. Like I said in my previous comment, they took 3 wacky conspiracies and 1 possible theory and put it all together to call anyone that investigates such things as crazy.
Simply put... A hit piece on "conspiracy theorists"
The granddaddy of future conspiratorial theories;
Comet ISON, C/2012 S1
Just to stay ahead of the apocalyptic visionaries, the obvious Christian metaphors of a "New Star of Bethlehem" and conspiratorial revisionist exclaiming that the archaeologist got the Mayan calendar date wrong, one year off, and the end "really" comes in 2013,
More media should be running more stories about Comet ISON, officially known as C/2012 S1.
Now inside the orbit of Jupiter, the tail already more than 40,000 miles long. Arriving late December 2013, visible in broad daylight!, 70° of arc across the night sky!, Hallelujah!
(Note; your fist held out covers 10° of arc, stack seven on top of the horizon to see the potential show ISON could bring.)
NASA's Deep Impact Spacecraft Eyes Comet ISON
www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/asteroids/news/asteroid20130205.html
cholin3947 is correct. a rods from god weapons system is essentially a large dense metal rod fired down from space at high velocity. Size maybe from crowbar to telephone pole size depending on your target (tanks to bunkers). Being made of tough metal, being streamlined and probably covered with heat resistant shielding just like the space shuttle or ICBM warheads, it would not disintegratebut remain intact until impact
also, it would not leave rocky fragments like those which have been found
I believe it is strange it happened the same day as the near miss of some 17000 miles by an space asteroid, was the Russian rock a concequence of the near miss asteroid being knocked out of orbit by something and someone?
Yes, this article is horrible because it missed the biggest theory, and the only one with video evidence. The theory is an extra terrestrial projectile shot through the back of the meteorite and broke it up into several pieces, while still continuing forward on its own distinct path. If you go to youtube and search "Russian meteorite shot down by ufo" or something like that, you will see the replays. Extraterrestrials have saved our asses countless times, including disabling nuclear missiles, which is documented by the U.S. army. Most e.t. races are benevolent as you will learn as disclosure unfolds.
@ DoogsNova; "Most e.t. races are benevolent as you will learn as disclosure unfolds." So then you're actually qualified to make that assessment because you've actually met all these races, both here in their remote setting, and at their home locations. You must be the envoy of Planet Earth.
Does that come with a parking space? Do you have to get down with a new wife and kids every time you get back to Earth? Can you be legally charged with Bigamy? Do you get Frequent Flyer miles? How does your insurance work?
quasi44,
Your a really funny guy... "remote setting", "home locations", "parking lot", "wife and kids", "Bigamy", "Frequent Flyer miles", "insurance"...huh?! LOL! Do you often times respond to someone's slightly self-deluded comment with meaningless, unrelated sarcasm? Don't get me wrong, I do agree in-regard to that one statement, but the rest he was talking about; it being intercepted, is dead-on.
If you did a little investigation, you would come to the same conclusion; that someone or something shot that meteorite with a projectile sufficient enough to break it up before earth impact.
As to who or what it was ...who knows?
It could have been the Russian missile defense system (which I'm sure they do have), or an so called ET (I have my own theories on that one), but something DID intercept that meteor...the evidence speaks for itself.